I woke up with the morning sun in my eyes. I was lying in the large satin bed, with the blanket draped over me. I was well rested and comfy in the morning sun. But there was another pressing issue. I needed to wash up badly, but the bathroom was occupied. I pranced back and forth with the sheet wrapped around me to preserve my modesty. Not that I had much of that left after yesterday, but I had to at least try right?

A few minutes later the lovebirds came out from the bathroom. I just squeezed past into the bathroom before they had the time to say anything. I threw off the sheet and quickly turned on the bathtub. I took a quick shower to wash off the worst of the grime before I settled down in the warm water. This was heaven. My sore muscles immediately relaxed, and I let out a pleased moan. Yes I could fix that with my Biomancy, but then I’d miss out on what I was feeling now. No pain no gain as they say.

An hour and a small fight to get my robe to fit later, I exited the bathroom. Small wisps of steam swirling around as I entered the large bedroom. The window was opened, and a cool morning breeze caressed and dried me. I let out a satisfied sigh as I let my body fall onto the somehow miraculously clean bed. Mary and Eran were sitting by a table near the open window snacking on a nice smelling breakfast. And they were both looking at me, intently.

“What!? Do I have something on my face?” I joked.

“You’re not an alchemist and healer are you?” Mary said with an almost sad but emotionless tone.

My jovial mood shattered. I froze, my smile slowly fading away from my face. Fuck! What had given it away? I readied to launch the fingertip bones in my hands at them. Gruesome, but probably incredibly lethal. I had never tried it, but it should work. I breathed in and out, slowly as we came to a standoff. I liked the pair, but not enough to let them turn me in for slaughter.

“And that reaction more or less confirms it” Eran followed.

Sensing my aggression he moved his hand towards the dagger on his hip. Before anything else could happen Mary yelled out.

“Stop! This is not how we said we’d do it, Eran. Alina, Eran, You both look like you’re about to do something incredibly stupid. Can’t we talk this out!?”

I was going to miss her voice. I let out a chuckle, devoid of joy.

“There isn't that much to talk about now is there? Either I don't tell you, you turn me in, I get investigated, and then I get killed. Not going to let that happen. Or I tell you, and you either try to kill me where I stand, or turn me in and well, once again I die. None of these options really appeal to me. So yeah. Not really that much to talk about is there?”

They both paled at my casual mentions of death. I think they realized how much out of their depth they were. Did I overestimate their suspicions? Shit! Did I fuck up?

Mary spoke up, hints of anger in her voice. “Wait what? You don't seem like that bad of a person, we thought you were a thief. What could possibly be so bad that they’d just kill you. Unless…”

It dawned on her, There were a few things that warranted death in the world for just being something. Like a biomancer for example. Even the most heinous of thieves just get locked up for the rest of their lives. But this also meant I fucked up something badly. I had given away way too much from my reactions. They thought I was just a thief, huh?

“...stupidly good-looking... …clothes that don’t fit at all…” Mary mumbled.

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Yep she had figured it out, or was close to. I just nodded at her, a solemn smile on my lips. Maybe I could’ve prevented this by not reacting the way I did. They clearly didn't think it was this bad. Well then, this is it. These two lovely people will die because I fucked up, because I got involved with them. Because I didn't want to die.

“... and we were even originally going to ask her to join our marriage …”

WHAT!? Mary what the hell, don't drop bombshells like that. Especially not while mumbling. And absolutely not while in a life or death standoff.

“Fuck it. I just can’t do it.”

I dropped back into the bed. I hadn't even noticed I was half standing.

“Just go. Go tell the guards or whatever that you found a biomancer. It was a good run. Sure ended on a high note too. I thought I could kill to keep my secret if I were exposed. But killing two lovely people just to keep my secret and life. Nah, I can’t.”

I felt a tear run down the side of my face. At least I had the best night of my life before it ended. I could run of course. But they had the elite of the elite in cases of illegal magic. I could run, but I wouldn't get far. I hope my parents didn’t get in trouble. They didn’t even know.

I heard a chair being pushed out, and then shuffling of feet. The sound of them getting up to leave. Then Mary slammed into me. Hugging me.

“Mary!?” Both me and Eran yelled out in surprise.

“What if we just keep your secret?” Her voice was raw, and I could feel her tears drip onto my face.

“What if we don't tell anyone, you’re not a bad person, right!?”

Oh, Mary! I rubbed her back. I’m the one who wanted to cry.

“I… I’d like that. But… I just finished seven years of studying, I'm not quite ready for a commitment like marriage.”

I really hoped that answer wouldn’t change their mind about keeping my secret. To my surprise, Eran was the one who spoke up. “Don’t worry about that, it was an idea for the far future. Just, we both have taken quite a liking to you. Last night was incredible. I mean not just the sex, but you’re a fun and lovely person to be around, too!”

His cheeks turned rosy, perhaps not used to giving compliments like that, before he continued. “We saw a shorter, and much less curvy woman enter the establishment with the very same robe you wear. We didn't think about it at first, but we discussed it this morning and it seemed very suspicious. We just thought you had robbed the poor woman yesterday. But that was you, wasn’t it?

I just nodded in silence, dumbfounded that it might actually seem like they might accept me for who I am. Are they stupid? Trusting a biomancer? I sure wouldn’t.

Eran continued “Also there is no way a simple healer could concoct something like your pills, are you sure selling them is wise? Working with guards a lot, I have my fair share of experience with healers, and there is no way one of them could do that unless they’re like a once in a lifetime S tier healer or something, there is just no way you should’ve been able to do things like that.”

OOOOOOOOPS! I sat up once more and Mary got down next to me.

“So contrary to popular belief, or perhaps the inadequacy of my peers, biomancy overlaps massively with healing. Which is what I studied back in Ravenvale. But yeah I… uh also am… technically…”

I reached into my spatial bag and with a guilty smile pulled out my graduation certificate. Mary snatched the certificate and gave it a quick read through it and—

“Owwwch!”

Mary bonked me on the head.

The mood gradually improved. We calmly talked things over. With my secret out, we had a serious discussion on how we’d move forward. They promised to keep me being a Biomancer a secret as long as no weird plagues or eldritch horrors appeared, and they’d talk to me first even in that case. I promised them I had no interest in that anyway.

“Seriously my interests are the following; healing, it’s a good facade sure, but healing people really does make me happy too. There is just something about making people’s suffering go away. The pay is good, but the gratitude is usually a lot deeper than just a few coins. I healed a kid’s broken leg just before I left Ravenvale and the joy as he bounced around his mom just made my day.”

I was remembering the healing fondly, and I felt a genuine smile spread on my face. Mary poked my side.

“You’re such a softy!”

I just jerked away and laughed.

“I like body modding too, though. As you guessed I may have done some improvements to my appearance. Andialsolikemakingweirddrugs….” My voice trailed off to a whisper as I said the last sentence and I could feel my cheeks heating up.

Eran was the first to speak up. I could see a tiny blush on his face “Can you change other people too?”

I nodded.